2019 June Curiositales Magazine with Isabel Sterling and Amber Smith

CONTENTS THE HIGHLIGHTS

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QUEER MAGIC Interview with Isabel Sterling of These Witches Don’t Burn

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FICTION FOOD FEATURE

Recipes from These Witches Don’t Burn and Something Like Gravity

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@ leopcarney

LIGHTING THE DARKNESS Interview with Amber Smith of Something Like Gravity

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QUEER CHARACTERS

BOOKSTAGRAM CREATORS

IMPRINTED ON SKIN

Recommendations for your TBR pile

Check out these three amazing Bookstagram creators

Literary body art

by Chii Rempel

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CONTENTS 11 Editor’s Letter

A note from the editor.

13 Contributors

Learn more about this month’s writers, photographers, and crafters.

14 Giving Back Learn more about this month’s charity.

16 Queer Magic Isabel Sterling of These Witches Don’t Burn 24 Isabel Sterling | Share Your Shelf Isabel shares her favorite bookish items.

28 Seeking Contributors

Like what you’re reading? Join our team!

30 Fiction Food Recipes inspired by These Witches Don’t Burn and Something Like Gravity.

36 Lighting the Darkness Amber Smith of Something Like Gravity.

44 Amber Smith | Share Your Shelf Amber’s tour of her favorite bookish 50 Queer Characters in YA Genre Fiction

by Juliet White 62 Bookstagram Creators Check out these awesome readers.

90 Imprinted on Skin Chii Rempel showcases her lit body art.

98 June New Releases

100 Around the World

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@fantasticbooksandwheretofindem

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FROM THE EDITOR

Letter From The Editor

I

can’t think of a better way to get ready for summer than to add a heaping helping of LGBTQAI books to your TBR for some great reading.

This month I talked to authors Amber Smith and Isabel Sterling, both of whom are contributing some amazing works of fiction to YA audiences.

You might know Amber Smith from The Way I Used to Be. She doesn’t let down in her latest novel, Something Like Gravity, once again touching on some hard subjects.

Isabel Sterling talks about how writing These Witches Don’t Burn helped her uncover her own sexuality. She hopes that her novel does the same for others.

It was such a pleasure putting this issue together, I hope you enjoy it. Send us an email and let us know!

Happy Reading, Gillian St. Clair Founder CURIOSITALES

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CURIOSITALES New York, New York; USA

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gillian St. Clair CONTRIBUTORS Kelsey Bjork, Elle Jauffret, Chii Rempel, Juliet White

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Vipul Kuchhal

ONLINE Curiositales is a digital monthly magazine. We also engage readers with a free newsletter. For your regular dose of all things bookish, subscribe at www.curiositales.com

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2019 by Curiositales Magazine. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in review.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Juliet White Book Recs, Queer Characters in Genre Fiction

As a kid, Juliet White slept with a flashlight in her bed for latenight stealth reading. You can find her obsessing about libraries @JulietWrites on Twitter, or visit her website at www.julietwhite.com.

Chii Rempel Photo Essay, Imprinted on Skin

Chii Rempel, born in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, is living in DĂźsseldorf, Germany, with her fiancĂŠ and their ridiculous cat Kvothe.

She has a degree in English studies and Japanese. When she is not writing, her hands are coloured in paint and her mind is stuck in the vastness of space.

Elle Jauffret Food Writer Elle Jauffret writes from personal experience about the culinary arts, mysteries, and France.

You can find her at ellejauffret.com or @ElleJauffret on Twitter and Instagram.

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GIVING BACK June 2019 | Issue 12

Every month we feature an organization that’s working to make change within the reading community around the world.

When we each commit to change, the growth is immeasurable.

Check out this month’s feature, and, if their mission statement is in alignment with your own beliefs, follow them online and help out however you are able.

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I finally realized, oh!

I’m writing them because I’m bisexual, and I’m attracted to women!

L

“

iving in Salem, Massachusetts as an Elemental Witch might sound like a bad idea, but Hannah would disagree.

Keeping her secret and avoiding her ex-girlfriend (who just so happens to be in her coven) isn’t easy, but overall, life in Salem isn’t too bad. That is until a possible Blood Witch begins to attack Hannah’s coven.

QUEER MAGIC

Interview by Gillian St. Clair Written by Kelsey Bjork

“I don’t even remember what I was doing, but all of a sudden I had this image in my head of this really sarcastic teenager who was working in a witch shop,” Isabel Sterling said about her inspiration for These Witches Don’t Burn. “Her overall attitude was, ‘Ugh, these guys are posers. I’m a real witch.’”

Sterling’s first novel went through a lot of changes by its final draft. In fact, the first version didn’t even include magic.

One thing that stayed the same, however, was the fact that Hannah is a lesbian.

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first draft, but she came out just as she was about to start the revision process.

“I had been constantly writing more and more queer characters but didn’t know why. After a while I finally realized, oh!

I’m writing them because I’m bisexual, and I’m attracted to women!” Sterling exclaimed.

The Last Air Bender when that was on tv, so I think that influenced the elemental magic in this story,” Sterling said. She was also able to find inspiration within her own family.

“When I was around eleven, an extended family member of mine had a Wiccan wedding that I attended, and my mind was just completely blown – I thought Coming to this realization greatly changed it was amazing!” Sterling said excitedly. the revision process which is Sterling’s fa- “Because of that, since middle-school, I’ve vorite part. Still, for some reason, she had kind of researched Wicca on and off and trouble making progress at first. Instead dabbled in different things. of pushing herself too much she put the book away for a while. During this time, she met and started dating her now wife.

“When I finally came back to it I realized that this story needed magic. After that, everything kind of clicked in. I rewrote the entire thing from page one and from there I got an agent pretty quickly,” Sterling said.

“

Our community tends to bleed into contemporary settings more often.

“

“I always wanted our world to be more magical than it is,” she continued. “I think one of the reasons that people have such a big draw towards magic is because so many of us have the thought that if we just looked around the corner and little bit further then we’ll find something unexpected.”

I don’t know that I would necessarily call myself a practicing witch, but it’s definitely something that I’ve always been drawn to, and it’s definitely something that I’m exploring.”

Part of the fun in creating a world with magic is getting to come up with a unique magic system. It might not be easy for authors to narrow down exactly what they want since there are so many possibilities, but Sterling simply asked herself: “What are all of the things that I love about magic?”

“I was completely obsessed with Avatar:

In any case, Sterling loves to write and read stories that involve magic. “I think it’s fun, especially when you’re writing queer characters, to create a magical world like this one. We definitely need room for those characters in both real world and fantastical settings,” Sterling said. “But our community tends to bleed into contemporary settings more often.”

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That’s why Sterling gets so excited when she does find fantasy books with queer characters. One such novel is Tarnished are the Stars by Rosiee Thor which will be released in October 2019.

needed, however, she values and enjoys those that are more on the light-hearted side, too.

Sterling believes that queer stories with a focus on serious topics are important and

Sterling and Hannah are extremely different (Sterling isn’t an elemental witch,

“A great example of that,” Sterling said, “is The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spal“I am so excited for that,” Sterling fanding. It’s a great ole rom-com that is so girled. “I’m pretty sure that it’s the queer much fun. And we shouldn’t diminish it, science-fiction in space that I’ve been look- or similar stories, because of that. ing for. It’s so great to have queer stories that aren’t relegated to our world. It’s also They shouldn’t be any less worthy than a great to see people explore societies that book that deals with the grief of coming aren’t built on heteronormativity because out to an unsupportive family, for examthrough them we get to ask: What does it ple. I think they’re both very important look like if we don’t build a world that has stories, so I’m happy to see that we have a default?” them both.”

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doesn’t live in Salem, and came out later in life), but they do have one thing in common: they are both queer. This helped shape These Witches Don’t Burn.

“I’m a queer woman and the protagonist is a queer teen girl. A lot of what I’ve experienced from coming out and from living life as an out queer woman who is dating another woman really influenced a lot of the changes I made to the book. The world treats you differently when you are seen as someone who is not heterosexual, and that’s something I made sure to include.”

Sterling had no idea as a teen that she was queer, and because of that, she didn’t consciously feel a lack of representation in novels. However, not seeing queer representation in the books she read still had a big impact on her.

“I think if I had seen a lot of the fiction that’s out today back when I was a teen

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then I might have figured things out sooner,” Sterling said.

“I was a huge reader as a kid. My parents divorced when I was pretty young, so at my dad’s house I was one of five kids, and at my mom’s I was one of three. I had so many siblings, and the only way for me to have alone time was to read,” Sterling said. “So, I read a ton.”

That is definitely not an exaggeration. Early on in Sterling’s high school career there was a summer where she read a book a day. Her passion for reading continued for many years but things changed after she graduated.

“Once I got to college I stopped reading,” Sterling said. “I just didn’t have time for it anymore.” Between the busyness of school and the amount of reading she had to do for class, she got to the point where she didn’t enjoy it anymore.

“I finally came back to reading during the summer between my two years of grad school because, honestly, grad school kind of killed me,” Sterling laughed. “But then I discovered The Hunger Games. At that point, all three books were out, so I binge read them all in three days. Those books are what finally made me remember that I actually do like reading.”

Books with LGBTQ+ representation are finally becoming more common, and Sterling is very grateful for that. More specifically, though, she appreciates that it’s becoming more common to find stories about those who have already come out.

“Hannah’s been out for over a year – she’s already had her first girlfriend and her first breakup. These Witches Don’t Burn is for teens who aren’t looking for a coming out story because they’re already out, but it’s also for those who don’t even think they’re a part of the community.

Some people might be thinking, ‘Oh, I want to read this fun witch story,’ but then they get to see these queer characters interact and maybe that’s the thing that sparks them and makes them go, ‘Oh! I do feel like that sometimes.’ Hopefully, that will help them not wait until 26 to figure things out,” Sterling said with a laugh.

It’s great that LGBTQ+ stories are expanding, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of coming out stories.

“I think part of what’s nice now is that as we’re getting more momentum in the industry we’re not being required to do only one thing,” Sterling pointed out. “That being said, we still need coming out stories because there are so many different kinds.

“

I think part of what’s nice now is that as we’re getting more momentum in the industry we’re not being required to do only one thing. That being said, we still need coming out stories because there are so many different kinds.

“

There’s not very many books about queer people of color and that coming out process can be different for them. So it’s nice that publishing, for the most part, isn’t saying, ‘Okay, we’re done with those stories so it’s time to move on.’”

There are a lot of popular themes in novels that are likely to never go away – heartbreak is one of them. Many characters have to deal with it, but because Hannah is a witch, the implications of this common ailment are quite unique for those like herself.

“I think part of what makes it extra hard for Hannah is that she cannot escape her ex-girlfriend. Whenever I’ve broken up with people, I didn’t want to see them, talk to them, or be near them ever again.

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But Veronica is in Hannah’s coven so avoiding her is especially difficult since they’re required to be in close proximity, fairly frequently. Hannah isn’t getting the space to get over her, and having to see this person who broke her heart over and over again is like salt in the wound.” Their magical powers also make things a bit more complicated.

“There’s a scene in the book where Hannah and others in her coven are trying to use magic to figure out who is after them.

Veronica, however, decides to use that magic to try and prove that Hannah still has feelings for her,” Sterling said. “That is something that Hannah does not appreciate,” she added with a laugh.

Hannah has to go through a lot of difficult situations, but Sterling hopes that readers will find her struggles relatable.

“I’m really excited to have this book out “I’m really excited to have this book out and to start hearing from the teens who I wrote it for. I wanted this story to be something that I would have just loved as a teenager with the mystery and the magic

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and all of that. But I also wanted to have it reflect everything that I’ve learned since I’ve come out,” Sterling explained.

Sterling understood the struggles of those in the LGBTQ+ community long before she came out, however, she now recognizes that it was not possible for her to fully understand until she was more than just an ally.

“It’s so different when you’re the one actually experiencing micro-aggressions,” she shared. “There’s no way to really know that until you go through it so hopefully people that read These Witches Don’t Burn can say, ‘That’s exactly how my experience has been.’ Even though it’s not a monolith and everyone’s experience is different, I hope that the authenticity of all of that will shine through for people.”

These Witches Don’t Burn was released on May 28, so you can go read it right now!

You don’t want to miss out on all of the magic and mystery this story has to offer, so make sure to find out how you can get a copy right here!

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Share Your Shelf

with Isabel Sterling

1. “Writing “Helpers” – they may slow down the process more than they aid it, but I couldn’t imagine writing a novel without my two cats (Oliver and December) and my Beagle-mix, Lily by my side.

2. Scrivener I write and revise all my novels in Scrivener. I’m not the most tech-savvy person, but I find it invaluable for staying organized while I write. Seeing each scene as its own separate file helps keep me from getting overwhelmed.

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3. Notebook Even though I jot down story notes in my phone while I’m away from home, I always have a dedicated notebook for each story idea. I can’t do anything too fancy (I’m always too nervous to fill a pretty journal!), so I go with the simple lined notebooks from Staples.

4. Index Cards Continuing on the basic office-supplies train, I would never be able to revise a novel without 3x5 lined index cards.

Every scene gets its own card, and the ability to see an entire novel laid out on a table is something close to magic.

5. Sticky Notes Who doesn’t love sticky notes? Not only do they add a pop of color to otherwise plain index cards, there’s something so satisfying about turning them into a mini to-do list that you can crumple as you finish each item.

6. Scented Candles Candles set the mood, and they also make my office smell amazing. My favorite scents are the ones with cinnamon.

7. Cozy Blankets I do most of my writing on the couch (with Lily by my side), so a comfy blanket is an absolute must. She likes to bury herself under the covers while I work.

8. Diet Pepsi I know, I know, the coke drinkers are aghast (my wife agrees with you, for the record), but I always have Diet Pepsi on hand while I’m writing.

9. Audiobooks When I’m in writing mode, all of my free time gets sucked up for creating my own novels, so I don’t get time to read. Audiobooks save me; I get to read while driving to work, cooking, or cleaning the house.

10. Phone Timer Even though I often try to convince myself I can do without it, I almost always write more when I set a 20-minute timer on my phone. It helps keep me focused and off from social media.

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CONTRIBUTE JOIN THE TEAM

Curiositales Magazine is on the lookout for contributors.

If you have an idea geared toward the YA readership, send us an email: contribute@curiositales.com.

Our readers are creative and talented and we want to feature you. Send us an email to be considered for an upcoming issue.

Cosplayers: 10 Full Page Photos featuring characters from literature.

Payment $50 within 30 days of publication.

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SHORT STORIES COSPLAYERS ARTISTS EDITORIAL PHOTO SPREADS TUTORIALS ARTICLES FLASH FICTION HAVE AN IDEA? LET US KNOW!

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FICTION FOOD

By Elle Jauffret

THESE WITCHES DON’T BURN “[…] fried eggs, fruit, and a small mountain of bacon load up each plate. […] Gemma reaches across the table and takes the jar [of raspberry jam] from my mom. […] I lift the lid, revealing my favorite homemade chocolate chip cookies.”

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BACON SEITAN BREAKFAST SANDWICH: Slice an English muffin in half.

Beat 2 eggs. Heat ½ tsp olive oil in hot pan. Pour egg mixture and gently pull and flip the eggs until cooked.

Lather both halves of English muffin with raspberry jam and fill with scrambled eggs and bacon seitan* slices. (*seitan is a vegan “meat”)

HANNAH’S FAVORITE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: In a bowl, combine 2 ¼ cups flour + 1tsp baking soda + 1 tsp salt. Set aside.

In a second bowl, mix together 2 tbsp butter (softened) + 1 cup granulated sugar + ½ cup brown sugar +1tsp orange extract until smooth. Add 2 eggs and mix until well combined.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix well and add 2 cups chocolate morsels.

Make small dough balls (about the size of a ping pong ball), place on greased cookie sheet, and cook for about 10 minutes in a 350-degree-oven. Cool before serving.

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SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY “These were foods I’d never tried, and had barely even heard of, except on TV. […] Super-Loaded Veggie Ramen. […] “Okay, then I’m marrying the Vegan Taco Flatbread,” he added.”

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VEGETARIAN/VEGAN TACOS (4 SERVINGS):

In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp canola oil and sauté: 6 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped) + 1 medium onion (peeled and In a bowl, combine: 1 can/15.5oz black chopped) + 3 tbsp chopped ginger, for beans (organic and made with sea salt about 8 minutes (onion should be light best) + 2 tsp ground cumin + 1 sliced avbrown). Add 6 cups vegetable broth + ocado + 4 iceberg lettuce leaves + 2 tbsp 1/8 cup soy sauce + 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil + fresh cilantro + 4 tbsp crumbled feta. Di25g/1oz dehydrated mushrooms (shiitake vide the mixture in 4 and fill 4 wheat torti- and oyster best). Bring to boil and simmer llas. Drizzle tacos with juice of 1-2 limes. for about 1.5 hour.

For vegan tacos, omit the feta.

Add 1 ½ tsp miso paste. Whisk until well combined. Strain and set aside.

SUPER-LOADED VEGGIE RAMEN (4 SERVINGS): Cook 16oz green ramen noodles according to package instructions. Set aside.

Steam ½ white cabbage and 1 pack of kale.

Set aside.

Pour strained broth in 4 bowls. Dress with Chop 2 green onions. Set aside. steamed cabbage, steamed kale, green onSlice 1 block of baked tofu. Set aside. ions, baked tofu and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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French-born, Californian lawyer by day, writer/home chef by night, Elle Jauffret writes from personal experience about the culinary arts, mysteries, and France. She received the 2016 SDSU Writers’ Conference Choice award and loves creating “fiction food” based on the books she enjoys.

You can find her at ellejauffret.com or @ElleJauffret on Twitter and Instagram

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I didn’t set out to write a love story, but that is exactly what happened.

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LIGHTING THE DARKNESS: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Interview by Gillian St. Clair Written by Juliet White

Some books whisk us away to

fantasy worlds where we can forget our own reality, while others shine light into the darkest corners of our current landscape. Amber Smith specializes in the latter. With her treatment of sexual assault in The Way I Used To Be and domestic violence in The Last To Let Go, Smith stares down some tough topics.

Too many of us experience circumstances that require the grit shown by her characters and, as necessary as escapism can be, we also need the validation of seeing the harder truths of our lives reflected in stories imbued with hope and healing.

Smith’s newest release, a contemporary novel titled Something Like Gravity, features two protagonists—Chris and Maia—who are each finding their way through challenging situations, while figuring out who they are as individuals and who they can be together.

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“Chris is transgender and he is dealing nection in their worlds. Then I realized the with the process of coming out and how it thing that was missing from each of their is changing his relationships with his fam- stories was each other.” ily, his friends, and, most of all, himself ” explains Smith. “Maia is from an entirely different background, but she is dealing with a similarly life-changing event—she’s recently lost her older sister.”

“

The creation of Something Like Gravity followed an unusual path because it started out as two separate manuscripts, rather than one book with dual points of view. “I had hit a wall with both characters,” Smith confessed. “I actually stopped working on these books for quite a while.

I was always still thinking about these characters, but their stories had become so bleak because they were each very alone.

I wanted to give each of them a love interest thread as a way to bring in more con-

The thing that was missing from each of their stories was each other.

“

“I didn’t set out to write a love story, but that is exactly what happened as I started working on trying to blend these two manuscripts together,” Smith said. “I would describe Something Like Gravity as a story about first love, and the way that love can change us. How finding the right person at the right time can be the thing that saves you. But it’s also about discovering who you are and what it feels like to be accepted for the first time.”

Smith began writing about Chris and Maia in the aftermath of her father’s death. “I distinctly remember when I first started to write both of these characters and it happened right around the same time, so I think they were always meant to come together in this book.” Smith became captivated by “the voice of this young woman who felt like she wasn’t prepared for how much her life was going to change. Maia’s identity was changing; she felt disconnected from the other people who had experienced that same loss in her family.”

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During that time period, Smith moved to a new house. “I remember sitting in my office late at night and I could hear the nighttime sounds through the open window. I started writing this character. I wasn’t sure who they were, but it was all about this feeling of being in a new place and being both hopeful, but also scared of what the future was going to hold. That voice became Chris.”

“

The best response I could hope for is that a reader could step out of their own personal experience for a while and begin to see the world from a different perspective.

“After living with these characters for four or five years, I really start to think of them as real, whole people. There are people out there who are going through these same things and I always base the emotional worlds of my characters on my own experience. Feeling very connected to the characters makes me want to do each of them justice,” revealed Smith.

With such hard-hitting issues at play, Smith seeks opportunities to inject leviAuthenticity is especially important when ty. “That’s where I bring in some of the it comes to minority representation. “A things that I love. I’m a total astronomy lot of people maybe don’t know anyone geek so there are some astronomy threads who’s transgender,” Smith points out, “or in the book. From Maia’s side of things, at least they don’t know that they know she’s discovering what art could be and anyone. One of the things I really wanted looking at her sister, who was an artist, to do with Chris’ character was to show in a different way. I loved getting to exwhat his life is like, but to also connect his plore that, because so much of my own life with something very human and uni- background is in the arts. Of course, I’m versal, and for me that was falling in love. a huge animal lover, so I wanted to put a dog in the story—Maia has a dog. The as“Books teach us about empathy and com- tronomy thread, the art thread, and even passion and what it’s like to live in some- the dog thread were fun to write, but they one else’s shoes for 300 pages. That expealso take on a lot of symbolic meaning as rience can change us and that’s of course well.” what I hope happens with all of my books, Something Like Gravity included,” Smith Part of what makes Smith’s characters so commented. “The best response I could unforgettable is the strength of their emohope for is that a reader could step out of tional arc. “I’m not transgender but I am their own personal experience for a while a lesbian, and I remember the coming out and begin to see the world from a differprocess completely changing my life. I ent perspective.” had to relearn who I was going to be, and

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I tried to bring those very complex, strong emotions into Chris’s character. The same with Maia. After losing someone very close to me, there’s a certain loneliness that can happen when the people around you don’t know the right things to say. So that’s something I wanted to portray.”

Similarly, gendered violence is a theme that spans Smith’s work. “It’s a subject that hits really close to home for me. My first book, The Way I Used To Be, dealt with a girl who is raped and the aftermath of trying to find her voice and healing, and then my second book dealt with domestic violence and this dysfunctional family and a girl who was desperately trying to break those chains of abuse. And now, in Something Like Gravity, part of Chris’s past is that he is dealing with an assault that happened a year earlier.”

thor website also provides readers with an extensive list of resources relating to sexual abuse, assault and violence, gender and identity, mental health, and addiction.

“It’s really important to not only keep telling these stories, but for people to continue listening to them,” Smith explained. “The recent #MeToo movement has shown us just how powerful it can be when there are people who are out there shouting their truths, and being heard and supported.”

“I get a lot of emails and messages from readers, and the conversations we have are truly incredible. Two of the most common responses I hear come from people on opposites side of experience--from those who have gone through some of the issues and situations I address in my books, I will often hear how validating it “I still feel the need to explore abuse and was to see themselves reflected in these violence and the way that these things stories. But I also heard from people who affect our identity and our relationships have not had personal experience say that with each other and ourselves,” Smith had no idea what it was like for someone said. “I’ve been in abusive situations myto go through something as traumatic as self; I’m a survivor as well. This idea of assault, and that they feel like a part of violence and what it means, seems to keep their perspective broadened as a result. entering my work. At the core of everyResponses like these are the best I could thing I’m trying to write, I ask myself: hope for.”

What are the things that make us hurt each other and what are the things that As a teenager, Smith recognized the way make us love each other? Those are the that books can serve as a refuge when she two sides of the stories I’m trying to tell.” first read Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. “I was a senior in high school when Advocacy about gendered violence is im- that book came out and it changed my portant to Smith, who contributed to Our life,” Smith said. “It was given to me by Stories, Our Voices, edited by Amy Reed. the librarian at my high school because I This collection of 21 stories by young volunteered there; I think she knew that adult novelists details the experience of was a story that I needed. I was not at a growing up female in America, with a point where I had the emotional stability focus on empowerment. A visit to her au- or the support to deal with my own expe40

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riences with violence, but reading about someone else going through that process was so healing for me.”

“I feel like books can be a safe space to explore a lot of our own pain and trauma, because there’s a certain amount of distance. When we talk about books with other people, you have a little bit of a barrier. You can talk about a character and that’s a lot safer than saying, ‘This is what happened to me,’ because often we’re not in a place where we can do that.”

Surprisingly, Smith didn’t start out as a bookish person. “I had a lot of trouble reading when I was young and I actually hated it. It wasn’t until I was a little bit older—probably middle school age—that I started to find my love of stories. I loved the books that were more of an escape.

Some of my favorites were A Wrinkle in Time and Island of the Blue Dolphins. I related to those young, female protagonists who were heroes of their own stories.”

“I was twelve when I read The Diary of Anne Frank for the first time. I always think of that book as really changing who I was as a reader because it was the first time I felt like I connected to another time and place through the power of words and story and truth. It was after my exposure to Anne Frank that I first started looking for books that tackled the difficult, coming of age, teenage issues that I was dealing with.”

when I was a young person? What are the kinds of voices and characters and stories that would have made me feel less alone when I was a teenager? That’s really the place I’m coming from.”

Just as Smith didn’t become a reader until she was a little older, neither did she aspire to be an author from childhood.

“I came to writing in a very roundabout way. I always kept journals, even when I was a little, little kid—I had those diaries that came with a tiny key and a metal lock. I remember being five or six years old and just writing down what was going on in my life. I was a pretty shy kid and I always had trouble making friends so I think I was pretty lonely in some ways.

I looked at writing, not as anything that was going to be shared with anyone.”

“I didn’t do very well in school up until the last few years of high school. That’s when I started thinking about how my grades could be a part of my future, because I never necessarily made that connection before. No one in my family had gone to college—I was the first person—so that wasn’t really a thought in my mind.”

“I was always much more invested in visual arts than the standard subjects in school,” Smith revealed. “I ended up going to school for art—I got my BFA in painting—and all that time I was still keeping journals. It was very therapeutic for me. It wasn’t until after college that I decided I wanted to work in museums, Smith keeps her experiences as a reader in and so I went back to grad school and got mind with her own work. “Every time I’m my master’s in art history. When I was starting to write a book, the question I’m getting my first jobs in the museum world, constantly reminding myself of is: What is I was doing a lot of nonfiction writing, the story that I really would have needed more like biography and writing about CURIOSITALES

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“

I want people to feel seen and validated and understood.

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art history. That also coincided with the first time in my life that I didn’t have a studio space to work on my art. So, I started thinking about writing as a creative outlet, rather than just writing in my journals. That’s when I began writing my first book.”

“I always like to say that the main thing I hope readers get out of any of my books, but Something Like Gravity especially, is that they’re not alone. It’s a simple sentiment, but I want people to feel seen and validated and understood. While my characters may be fictional, they are always inspired by reality. It can be so easy to feel isolated and alone when we’re going through challenging times, like grieving a terrible loss, or trying to embrace our identities, or processing a painful trauma.

I want readers to come away from Chris and Maia’s story knowing that the truth is a powerful thing, that love is transformative, and there is always a reason for hope.”

Something Like Gravity hits bookstores on June 18, 2019, get it here.

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Share Your Shelf

with Amber Smith

1. This is not technically a bookish thing, but when I’m writing I am surrounded by my animals (my partner and I have two dogs and three cats (all rescues), and so they are a big part of my bookish life.

Here is our mischievous one-eyed kitty, Lou, camping out on my laptop.

2. I receive great writerly presents from my friends, and this t-shirt (above) is one of my favorites.

3. I am big on taking writing advice from authors who’ve been there, and these are some of the best books about writing that I’ve found (along with my plethora of composition notebooks – my favorite thing to write in).

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4. Here’s another one of those great gifts I received – I keep this writer’s block candle in my office and it always gives me a laugh (plus it smells amazing!).

8. Another essential bookish item is comfy socks – they are a must while writing, and if you’re a fellow book nerd, these socks are for you!

9. I guess coffee is a recurring theme in my favorite things…and here is my favorite bookish mug (by the way, my friends always tell me they would love it if I wrote them into a book and killed them off, lol).

5. Speaking of writer’s block, one of my all-time favorite things to do when I’m stuck or feeling uninspired is to get away from the computer and clear my mind on a hike – so many of my ideas come to me when I’m out in nature.

6. I am physically and mentally incapable of writing if I’m hungry, so yummy snacks are essential! This is my ultimate writer’s fuel: Justin’s Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!

7. The other big part of my writing fuel survival kit is…you guessed it: CAFFEINE! Here’s some beautiful latte art from Amelie’s, one of my favorite local coffeeshops where I like to write.

10. I’m not a plotter by nature – I usually find my way into my novels through my characters – so I love using tarot cards to help me figure out different plot elements.

It’s so much fun and super helpful! Here’s a great book I use called Tarot for Writers

by Corinne Kenner.

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It Matters

Queer Characters in YA Genre Fiction

by Juliet White

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eel like your life is would be a little bit brighter if it included a lesbian werewolf and some kickboxing dragqueens? Me, too. But you may not expect to find these characters in the pages of your favorite fantasy, mystery, or historical novels. That’s because queer representation in genre fiction has consistently lagged behind contemporary.

There will always be a need for coming out stories and real-life portrayals of queer characters in YA lit. With releases like Mark Oshiro’s Anger Is A Gift, The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan, and Claire Kann’s If It Makes You Happy, publishing is starting to address the dearth of stories that feature the intersection of gender identity and sexual orientation with various forms of bias.

The last few years have also seen an increase in LGBTQAI representation in YA genre fiction. So, if you’re seeking books that better reflect your own experiences or that are simply more inclusive, check out the following fantastic reads: 50

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FANTASY Out of all the genres, fantasy is probably the most densely populated with characters on the LGBTQAI spectrum. Recent releases to watch for include Isabel Sterling’s These Witches Don’t Burn, published at the end of May, and We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Meija, which came out in February of this year.

You should totally judge We Set the Dark on Fire by its divine cover, because this novel more than lives up to its appearance.

Enter the world of Medio, where Dani Vargas is poised to score a life of comfort for herself and fulfill her family’s dream. Problem is, her position and identity are based on a lie and Dani finds herself having to choose between love and rebellion, or safety and power. Brace yourself for a lesbian romance paired with a quest to take down the patriarchy!

Similar anti-government themes are at play in recently-published Once & Future, co-written by queer couple Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Retellings seem perennially popular, but a female King Arthur? Bring on the chainmail!

If you haven’t zipped through C.B. Lee’s Sidekick Squad series yet, get ready to catch up a warp speed, because this superhero trilogy wraps up with Not Your Backup—out in June 2019. Lee’s caped crusaders deliver diversity both in terms of gender identity and racial representation, along with a nuanced look at the dynamics of heroes and villains.

If spandex is your thing, also add Dreadnought, by April Daniels, to your library.

Once this own-voices novel grabs you, it won’t let go. In the opening pages alone, the trans protagonist witnesses the death of a superhero legend, takes on his powers, and finds her body transformed into one that matches her gender identity.

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MYSTERY Versatile author, Malinda Lo, switches from fantasies to mysteries with A Line in the Dark. This is a story of unrequited love, a collision of worlds, and the sacrifices we’re willing to make to protect those we love. The only thing tauter than the lesbian romantic tension in this novel is the plotting. Seriously, the likelihood that you’ll predict every twist is roughly equal to the odds of being a grand marshal at Pride. But by all means give it a try.

A similarly rapid-paced mystery is Far From You, by Tess Sharpe. Sophie wants nothing more than to solve her best friend’s murder, but it’s tough to do that from rehab. Recently released and with revenge on her mind, Sophie must balance her search for a killer with her quest to stay sober. Without revealing spoilers, orientation is both a key part of the protagonist’s emotional arc and a refreshingly irrelevant part of solving the mystery. It’s not as fresh to the shelves as the others, but it’s well worth a read for its combination of suspense and emotional depth.

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One of the most captivating queer writers in the mystery/thriller genre is Caleb Roehrig. His novels Last Seen Leaving and White Rabbit feature love, loss, and twisty crimes that’ll keep you thumbing through pages fast enough to earn paper cuts. His latest release, Death Prefers Blondes, is a caper novel that strikes a slightly lighter note. But with its cast of kickboxing drag queens, plus a Hollywood heiress who moonlights as a cat burglar, it’s no less addictive.

Another 2019 book well worth checking out is Lillian Clark’s hacker heist novel, Immoral Code. Billed as Ocean’s 8 meets The Breakfast Club, the story showcases multiple points of view, including that of Reese, a character who identifies as ace/ aro. Like crimes committed for a cause?

Then you’ll blow right through this “robbing from a rich, deadbeat dad to pay for MIT” tale.

HISTORICAL In historical fiction, Mackenzi Lee has made the 18th century fabulous with her unforgettable romps: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. Despite the social attitudes of the time, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and aro/ace representation are the default in Lee’s books.

For a trip into more recent history, pick up the June 2019 release of Like A Love Story. The convergence of queer characters and queer history in YA fiction is definitely an underexplored area, building anticipation for this read. Set in New York City in 1989 during the AIDS crisis, author Abdi Nazemian introduces us to Reza, a closeted Iranian boy, who falls for his girlfriend’s best (male) friend.

In graphic novels, Jen Wang’s latest, The Prince and the Dressmaker, serves up a romance too sweet to overlook. This historical fairytale transports readers to Paris, to the palace of a prince who likes to wear dresses. With the help of a dressmaker-turned-confidante, Prince Sebastian ventures out into society as the trendset-

ting Lady Crystallia, all the while dealing with the King and Queen’s expectations that their child will marry a princess, rather than be one.

For Commitment-phobes If you’re unready to commit to one genre, Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve may be the book for you. Published in March 2019, Schrieve’s novel is a mash-up of urban fantasy, alternative history, and mystery. In this unique take on monster lit, a murder makes life in an alternative 1990s Salem, Oregon, tough for all the non-humans in town. This includes a genderqueer, orphaned zombie who teams up with an unregistered, lesbian werewolf, in the queer buddy novel you didn’t know you were waiting for.

Bookshelves may not be groaning under the weight of queer genre fiction but, with these enticing works, they’re certainly growing fuller by the day.

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upcoming news

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wallpaper

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coloring page

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@fantasticbooksandwheretofindem

Kai Spellmeier

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Top book recs. Tell us why you love it and why we should read.

The Centre of My World is a gay coming of age novel. The main character, Phil, lives in an old mansion with his sister and his mother. The book is about identity, family, falling in love, and heartbreak. The writing is beautiful and nostalgic, so it’s perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

It is a German book that has been translated into English many years ago, and sadly it’s quite hard to get hold of an English copy these days. So if you cannot find the book, you could watch the film, which is one of my favourite book-to-screen adaptions.

Other diverse, feminist, queer, or simply outstanding books are Darius the Great Is Not Okay, I Was Born For This, Malamander, and Blood Water Paint.

Any pet peeves when reading LGBT characters?

LGBT characters that are reduced to clichés, the biggest one being the Gay Best Friend.

This also happens a lot in TV shows for teens. What is even worse, though, is when LGBT characters only exist to be killed off for dramatic effect. And what I really don’t like is reading gay sex scenes written by straight women. That’s fetishizing gays at its best.

What two stories would combine for an awesome retelling?

Twilight and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Two words: Gay. Vampires.

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Describe your perfect reading set up.

There is a bench on a mountain in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It thrones over a valley of rolling green hills, windmills and the blue sea on the horizon. Add a good book and snacks and you have found the recipe to my happiness.

Considering that the bench is half a world away from where I am now, I just enjoy cuddling up on my bed with a cup of hot chocolate while raindrops against my windows create the perfect soundtrack for a comfy reading session.

What is a trope you love? Hate?

Love triangles are the worst – just not when they’re gay. Then there is bringing back a once defeated (and killed!) villain. I always feel cheated, not only because I probably hated that character and was glad that they were dead, but also because it’s a cheap trick the makes it appear like an author was not creative enough to think of something better. And I have mixed feelings towards enemies becoming lovers. It is exciting, but when a relationship that has a violent or abusive history is turned into something romantic and swoon-worthy, it’s just a very toxic relationship being romanticised. And that’s plain wrong.

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What makes a character loveable and/or relatable?

Loveable is easy: when they’re kind, compassionate, trustworthy, true to themselves and their friends. And maybe a little vulnerable, too. They’re the characters you want to cuddle and protect with your life. But the thing is, characters don’t have to be loveable to be relatable. I might not want to be their friend, and I might not even understand their motives at first, but I can still respect them for their deeds and decisions.

Let’s be real, though, the characters that I love the most are those that I’d be scared of in real life. They are definitely smarter than you, incredibly ambitious, and often have a ruthless and even cruel streak to them. The perfect example is the main character from Mindy McGinnis’ novel This Darkness Mine. She is my favourite.

What book would you love to see adapted for screen? Who would star?

V. E. Schwab’s Villains duology, Vicious and Vengeful. I would cast Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Serena and Lulu Wilson (The Haunting of Hill House) as her younger sister Sydney. Vengeful, the sequel, would add Jessica Chastain (Interstellar) as Marcella, a ruthless woman who will destroy everything in her way on her rise to power, and Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies) as her husband. Aja Naomi King (HTGAWM) could be June, a shape-shifter. Dane DeHaan (Valerian) would make a perfect Victor Vale.

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Tell us about yourself and why you bookstagram.

I started reviewing books on Goodreads a few years ago, and when I discovered Bookstagram I found yet another outlet to promote my favourite underrated books. It’s the perfect place to connect with authors and fellow readers and it’s a major inspiration for me. I feel right at home in this community that’s so open, diverse and dedicated. But it’s also a place where I can promote books that deal with important topics like feminism, racism, homophobia, and mental health.

Books are so powerful and influential because they can shape you as a person. They definitely shaped me.

There are so many brave and moving stories out there, and if I can make the world a little kinder and accepting by reading and talking about what I read, then that’s what I will do.

Who are some of your favorite accounts we can support?

Follow @arianddante for the aesthetics, @herrdreist for diverse recs and the occasional rant, @xavierboldu for his mad photography skills, and @theunderratedbookproject for book recs far away from the hype.

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“And listen to me love, when a woman risks her place, her very life to speak a truth the world despises?

Believe her. Always.” ¬Joy McCullough, ‘Blood Water Paint’ CURIOSITALES

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@xreadingsolacex

Kav Lakshmi

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Top book rec. Tell us why you love it and why we should read. Honorable mentions welcome.

For anyone who’s followed me for any amount of time, it should come as no surprise that my go-to book recommendation is The Shadowhunter Chronicles. There is no possible way that I could possibly encapsulate why in a few sentences, but I can say that these are the books that made me fall in love with reading and they are the reason I am even a part of the book community today — this is definitely a long series and a long journey to embark on, but trust me when I say it is so worth it for the love you will soon develop for the brilliant cast of characters.

Outside of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, some of my other favorites include When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, through this is just the start of a long list.

Any pet peeves when reading LGBT characters?

I wouldn’t even know where to start with this — unfortunately there are far too many negative tropes and stereotypes when it comes to portraying LBGTQIAP+ characters in media. I don’t know if this can really be considered a part of that category, but what really irks me is when it is obvious that the author is not truly trying to provide authentic representation. There are too many authors who are not part of the community who try to commodify our identities and write our stories without doing enough research or even listening to the readers they claim to be representing.

What makes a character loveable and/or relateable?

I think it all goes back to character depth and development. No matter the personality of the character, if the author takes the time to create a fully fleshed out character and takes the time to develop them to where they could be three dimensional, that is the key to creating an enticing and loveable character.

What book would you love to see adapted for screen? Who would star?

I would absolutely love to see When Dimple Met Rishi make it to the big, or small, screen. With so many young-adult rom-coms having been turned into movies in 2018, I have felt a deep ache to see this book be made into a movie — an adorable arranged marriage rom-com about two Indian-American teens. I can’t give any recommendations for who would star because there are very few young Indian-American actors and actresses out there, but I can be sure that there are many talented and aspiring creatives.

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Describe your perfect reading set up.

In an absolutely ideal world, I would love to have a little reading nook in a corner of my room. I would ideally have a comfortable bean bag by my bookshelf with a cozy blanket and some coffee next to me while I read.

What two stories would combine for an awesome retelling?

I happen to be a huge fan of retellings, so this is such a perfect question. But as a caveat, I happen to have a soft spot for villain and anti-hero retellings, so I think I would have to say that I would love to see an Evil Queen retelling based off of a different mythology.

What is a trope you love? Hate?

I have recently discovered that I seem to have a soft spot for the enemies-to-lovers trope, when done well. (I absolutely hate the idea of an abusive/bully figure becoming a love interest and believe there is a huge difference between the two). On the other hand, I do not like the bad boy trope in the slightest, I find it overused and unappealing.

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Tell us about yourself and why you bookstagram.

I discovered the online book community at the age of 12 and created my own booktube channel two years later, all of which came to fruition because of Cassandra Clare’s work. Since then, I have grown into an advocate who advocates for representation of underrepresented identities in media. I am here in the book community because I have found the friendliest community of people here, I hope to pursue writing as a career, I want to continue to grow as an advocate and speak up for issues I believe in, and, most importantly, I want to share my love of reading with those who appreciate it.

Who are some of your favorite accounts we can support? @wordwoonders, @graceslibrary, @storiesforcoffee, @pagetravels, @meltotheany, @romiewedeservelove, @readwithmae, @foreverandeverly, @vanshikasbooks, and @kerrithebookbelle

“Whatever you are physically, male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy —all those thing matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. Whatever the color, the shape, the design of the shade that contains it, the flame inside remains the same.

You are that flame.”

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@leopcarney

Leo P. Carney

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photo by @zilerium

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collaboration with @booklooksbyb

Top book recs. Tell us why you love it and why we should read. Honorable mentions welcome.

My top book recommendations changes often, but my most current obsession is The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, a historical fiction that explores the themes of familial responsibility, forgiveness, and the value of life. For young adult fantasy, my favorite genre, I always recommend Sabriel by Garth Nix and the series it belongs to. This underrated high fantasy novel that follows a strong necromancer named Sabriel made me fall in love with reading and eventually writing fantasy stories. Other honorable mentions: Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco.

Describe your perfect reading set up.

I love reading near water. It can be a still lake, a roaring ocean, or even in the crowds of my local mall beside a fountain. There’s something about water that starts my flow“ha ha” - of reading. My absolute perfect set up, though? It would have to be on the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake in South Lake Tahoe. In a gazebo that was built at the edge of the cool water. Merganzer aquatic birds would quack as they past by while I read page by page, chapter by chapter, with my toes just barely touching the surface.

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What is a trope you love? Hate?

I can’t stand instant love. I cringe at how unrealistic some relationships are in books.

That’s just not how it works in real life. In my honest opinion, I believe that love requires work. It requires an understanding of a person. I understand attraction especially when some characters are magnetic. There’s people in real life who are so personable that they seem to pull everyone around them, and physical attraction is something that most people can feel without a whiff of love. But to fall in love with someone instantly? With no work to understand the person beforehand? That’s just unrealistic.

Any pet peeves when reading LGBT characters?

I find it difficult to take LGBTQ+ characters whose main identity is their sexuality seriously. People who identify as LGBTQ+ are not just their sexuality. They are not the token “bisexual cis male” or the “lesbian colored female”. We are defined by our experiences, our passions, our struggles, and not just our gender or sexuality identity. Being LGBTQ+ is something to be proud of. Something that has defined a lot of our lives especially as we grow up knowing we are different, but also, we are not different from any other person. Or, in this case, queer characters are not different from any other characters. So let’s celebrate our queer pride, but let’s not make that the label that we live by.

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What two stories would combine for an awesome retelling?

When I was younger, The Grimm’s Complete Fairytales was one of my go-toes. One of my favorite tale was that of Hansel and Gretel. I’ve read many retellings of Hansel and Gretel, but if I had to choose another story to combine it with another story, I’d probably choose Alice and Wonderland. A story where both Hansel and Gretel are coerced into Wonderland and are taken hostage by a sinister witch!

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What makes a character loveable and/or relateable?

I find characters who are sincere in their growth the most loveable. Characters who are not perfect and who have character flaws are the more realistic to me. No one in this world is perfect. No love story follows a storybook beginning and ending. The characters who show their grit and their sincerity to grow as people are the ones that make reading worth it.

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What book would you love to see adapted for screen? Who would star?

I would absolutely love to see Mackenzi Lee’s The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I found the main characters Monty, Felicity, and Percy all really relatable. Monty especially since he was terribly flawed. Almost so flawed that it was difficult to like him.

I think Monty would be played by Robert Sheehan who now plays Klaus in the Umbrella Academy. Daniel Kaluuya who played the protagonist in “Get Out” would kill it as the personable and thoughtful Percy. I mean come one? Robert and Daniel together? I would buy tickets to see that! Finally, Kaya Scodelario would be a badass Felicity. Oh the sass!

Who are some of your favorite accounts we can support?

There are honestly too many accounts! But someone that I have a certain kinship to and have collaborated with on several art projects is @booklooksbyb AKA Brittina. When I came across Brittina’s page, I was instantly impressed! She takes her love of books and body painting and mesh them into a cohesive art project called Booklooks. You just can’t look away! When I became friends with Brittina (because I knew I had to be friends with her and DMed her right away), we played with the idea of collaborating: her Booklooks married with my Photoshop editing. Our babies were the compositions that have gotten us noticed by some of my favorite fantasy authors: @leighbardugo and @rinchupeco.

In terms of authors, I would definitely recommend following @mackenzilee or @sheaearnshaw. Both are very candid about the ups and downs of being an author. They make me more aware and appreciative of everything authors do for their art and their readers.

Tell us about yourself and why you bookstagram.

My name is Leo as in “LAY-O” not “LEE-OH”. More potato chip than feline, I like to say. I started my bookstagram May 29, 2019. So just little over a year! I like to be honest and tell people that I really started bookstagram to build up an “author’s platform” to reach people who may be interested in eventually reading my work. Bookstagram quickly became more than that. It became a community that I valued and enjoyed interacting with. I met so many amazing bookstagrammers, and I was so incredibly filled with joy to know that there were people out there who loved books as much as I do. Who love the new book smell, too.

I also learned a lot about myself as a Creative through bookstagram. It took me a while and several posts to finally find my love of photoshop and graphic art. I loved creating bookish content that defied the laws of gravity, made mushrooms glow, shrink me so small that I can be used as a bookmark. Bookish content with a sprinkle of magic was my niche, and I reveled in it.

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“Writing is easy. All you need is to sit at a typewriter and bleed” - Ernest Hemingway CURIOSITALES

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Imprinted on Skin:

by Chii Rempel @FindingBookland

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About the Artist

Chii Rempel Chii Rempel, born in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, is living in DĂźsseldorf, Germany, with her fiancĂŠ and their ridiculous cat Kvothe. She has a degree in English studies and Japanese. When she is not writing, her hands are coloured in paint and her mind is stuck in the vastness of space.

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06/18/19 Preorder

06/04/19 Preorder

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June Releases 06/11/19 Preorder

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06/04/19 Preorder

06/01/19 Buy Now

06/11/19 Preorder

06/11/19 Preorder

06/25/19 Preorder

June Releases 06/04/19 Preorder

06/04/19 Preorder

06/04/19 Preorder

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Around the World

A

s ebooks and other online sales providers push brick-and-mortar stores out of business, the LGBT community faces shut down of bookstores that also serve as gathering places.

Gay’s The Word (London) remains open and provides a reminder to shop small.

Independent bookstores do more than sell books, they champion authors and provide a community resource that brings people together.

This bookshop opened in 1979 and has continuously given back to readers by providing diverse reading material and hosting events and discussion groups that go beyond the typical mainstream conversations.

According to their website, Gay’s The Word “is the UK’s pioneering first (and is today the last surviving) lesbian and gay bookshop.” With that in mind, consider shopping indie the next time you add to your TBR list.

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